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http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/amd-fx-8350-review-roundup/http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/amd-fx-8350-review-roundup/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments

Now that AMD's fresh new FX processors based on the Piledriver architecture are out in the wild,the specialist hardware sites have seen fit to benchmark the top-lining FX-8350. Overall, the group feels that AMD has at least closed the gap a bit on Intel's Core juggernaut with a much better FX offering this time around, but overall the desktop CPU landscape remains unchanged -- with Intel still firmly at the top of the heap. Compared to its last-gen Bulldozer chips, "in every way, today's FX-8350 is better," according to Tom's Hardware: cheaper, up to 15 percent faster and more energy efficient. Still, while the new CPUs represent AMD's desktop high-end, they only stack up against Intel's mid-range Core i5 family, and even against that line-up they only edge ahead in heavily threaded testing. But if you "look beyond those specific (multithreaded) applications, Intel can pull away with a significant lead" due to its superior design, says Anantech. As for power consumption, unfortunately "the FX-8350 isn't even the same class of product as the Ivy Bridge Core i5 processors on this front," claims The Tech Report.

Despite all that, Hot Hardware still sees several niches that AMD could fill with the new chips, as they'll provide "an easy upgrade path for existing AMD owners and more flexibility for overclocking, due to its unlocked multipliers." That means if you already have a Socket-AM3+ motherboard, you'll be able to do a cheap upgrade by swapping in the new CPU, and punching up the clock cycles might close the performance gap enjoyed by the Core i5. Finally, AMD also saw fit to bring the new chip in at a "very attractive" $195 by Hexus' reckoning, a much lower price than an earlier leak suggested. Despite that, however, the site says that AMD's flagship FX processor still "cannot tick as many desirable checkboxes as the competing Intel Core i5 chips." Feel free to scope all the sources below to make your own conclusions.

If you get the impression that AMD is diverting its energy away from traditional CPUs and towards APUs and fresher PC form factors such as all-in-ones, then you're certainly right -- but you're also slightly ahead of the game. The company promises there's a still a good few years of life left in its CPU-only chips and the AM3+ socket, and it's putting today's announcement forward as evidence. As of now, last year's eight-core FX-8150 has been superseded on retailers' shelves by the FX-8350, which notches the stock clock speed up to 4GHz, or 4.2GHz on turbo (alas with no obvious sign of that resonant mesh we once heard about). The full stack (codenamed 'Vishera') includes eight-, six- and four-core options, all based on the new Piledriver architecture which -- when combined with these higher clock speeds -- promises an overall performance uplift of around 15 percent versus the old Bulldozer cores. To be fair though, those Bulldozers weren't so snappy to begin with, and besides, the most significant performance claims with this upgrade relate to multi-threaded applications and a few gaming titles like Skyrim and Civ 5. Judging from the slide deck below, gains in other areas of performance may be lower -- perhaps in the region of seven percent -- so as usual we're going to roundup a bunch of reviews later today before we jump to any conclusions.

If it turns out that stock performance alone isn't enough to sell these chips, then potential buyers still ought to check out FX's pricing relative to Intel -- not least because, as is typical, AMD sells overclockable chips at no extra charge. The top-end FX-8350 will hit the market at $195, which is not only cheaper than some earlier leaks suggested, but also $40 cheaper than an unlocked Core i5-3570K that has a lower clock speed and a smaller L3 cache -- although the relative performance of these two chips remains to be independently tested. Meanwhile, the entry-level quad-core FX-4300 will virtually match the price of a locked i3-2120 at $122, but can be readily overclocked to 5GHz with water-cooling. AMD is also making a few claims based on the cost of multiple components in a rig: for example, that you can spend $372 on an FX-8350 and Radeon HD 7850 combo that delivers a 25 to 70 percent gaming advantage over a similarly priced Core i5 3570K with a GeForce GTX 650 Ti. Again, stay tuned for our roundup and we'll figure out just how compelling this really is.

AMD's Bulldozer CPUs remind us of Betamax (or MiniDisc), in that its superlativedesign hasn't been embraced thanks to one or two humblinglimitations. However, Mark Papermaster, Sunnyvale's new CTO, took to the stage at Hot Chips to show how he's changing the situation with the third-generation Steamroller architecture. It's rowing back on the more experimental elements of the design, scrapping the single shared fetch-and-decode hardware in favor of dual-cores that should double the amount of instructions it can handle. It's hoping to make performance gains of 15 percent, clawing back some of Intel's lead, and is considering roping in the GPU to help with the heavy-hitting in future versions. The chips will be built at Globalfoundries 28-nanometer line and are hoped to be out at some point next year.

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AMDBulldozerChip DesignChipDesignCPUCPU DesignCpuDesignHot ChipsHotChipsIvy BridgeIvyBridgeMark PapermasterMarkPapermasterPileDriverSandy BridgeSandyBridgeSteamrollerSunnyvaleWed, 29 Aug 2012 08:20:00 -040021|20311446http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/20/amd-opteron-3200/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/20/amd-opteron-3200/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/20/amd-opteron-3200/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsSo, AMD's 2012 rampage continues. Having outed a full stack of Radeon HD 7000-series graphics cards on the consumer side of things, it's now ready release the next in its line of Opteron enterprise server chips. Like the 4200 and 6200 series before it, the Opteron 3200 is based on the Bulldozer architecture. It comes in four or eight-core configurations, with 45W to 65W power consumption, plus a 2.7GHz base frequency that gets a 1GHz adrenalin kick in Turbo Core mode (which prioritizes half the cores and shuts down the other half). However, the 3200 series is designed to offer cloud and web hosting server functionality in a cheaper, "desktop-like infrastructure", which means these processors squeeze into a regular AM3+ socket and undercut comparable Xeons by up to $90. Can we expect server builders like SeaMicro to switch to these processors instead of Intel? Oh, you can count on it.

Like Hugh Hefner (probably), AMD took a good hard look at its lineup this week and decided it was high time to add a pair of models. Two new Bulldozer-powered FX CPUs will join the pantheon of world-record beating chips in the company's constant fight against the forces of Intel. The quad-core FX-4170 has a 4.2GHz CPU with 4.3GHz Turbo mode (for more on AMD's Bulldozer architecture, see here) while the six-core FX-6200 has a 3.8GHz base clock and a 4.1GHz Turbo mode. Availability will vary by region as the company shuttles out the new silicon on a rolling timeline, but we'd start keeping our eyes peeled next time you're down the shops. To celebrate, AMD is hacking down the price of the top-end FX-8150 from $245 to $185 and you should see a similar price drop from outlets filter through shortly. After the break we've got all the stats we were able to type about these slices of silicon before our palms got sweaty.

AMD's Bulldozer silicon is enormously powerful, but most software isn't configured to schedule threads for the faux-16 core design. Windows can only see the chip as a quad-core CPU and will randomly assign threads, which ruins the point of Bulldozer's "Turbo Core" design. Microsoft inadvertently revealed it had teamed up with the chipmaker to fix the problem when it prematurely released a hotfix for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Initial tests showed that it could improve performance by up to seven percent, before it was pulled -- Microsoft conceding that it wasn't quite ready for prime-time.

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AMDAMD BulldozerAMD FXAmdBulldozerAmdFxBulldozerChip SpeedChipSpeedFixHotfixMicrosoftOverclockOverclockersOverclockingTurbo CoreTurboCoreWindowsWindows 7Windows 8Windows Server 2008 R2Windows7Windows8WindowsServer2008R2Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:42:00 -050021|20130317http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/amd-shaves-800-million-transistors-from-bulldozer-chip-swears-n/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/amd-shaves-800-million-transistors-from-bulldozer-chip-swears-n/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/amd-shaves-800-million-transistors-from-bulldozer-chip-swears-n/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsWhen a company cuts 40 percent of its transistors from an upcoming processor, one question comes to mind: why? According to ExtremeTech, AMD issued an update stating that its Bulldozer eight core / four module CPU would feature 1.2 billion transistors, as opposed to the previously stated two billion transistors. The reduction occurred despite the fact that the die size remains unchanged at 315 square millimeters -- putting it on par with AMD's lesser Llano chip -- and depriving the chip of valuable horsepower before I/O, an integrated memory controller or HyperTransport are added. When approached for comment, company representatives stated they were simply correcting a mistake regarding the chip's actual specifications. Before you bemoan the fate of the Bulldozer chip, remember that the drummer from Def Leppard has had a terrific musical career with only one arm, so what's the loss of several hundred million transistors to AMD's latest?

We seem to have mislaid our definition of fashionably late -- a fortnight after the promised "October" launch, systems packing AMD's Bulldozer-powered Opteron 6200 (formerly Interlagos) will commence shipping to enterprise customers. If you haven't been paying too much attention, you might just believe the claim about it having 16 cores -- Bulldozer's architecture has eight two-core modules rather than 16 independent ones. Despite the short delay and the conspicuous claims, the company reckons it's 84 percent faster, 73 percent more efficient and uses half the power of the equivalentIntel Xeon. At the same time, Sunnyvale firmed up news on the Valencia (Opteron 4200) and announced 2012's Opteron 3000 platform with the new Zurich chip -- designed to run on low-power web hosts. Enterprise customers can read the PR we've got after the break and then begin placing orders; the rest of us will have to keep waiting to see if Andre Yang can push his FX all the way to 9GHz.

There you have it, folks. Floating over this text is the CPU-Z record that proves it: four days after Andre Yang broke the chip speed overclocking record with AMD's Bulldozer, he's done it again. The chip maker was eerily prescient when it said it expected others to beat the record and that unnatural confidence in the silicon has paid off. Last time, Yang managed to push only 30MHz over the previous record, this time he's found a further 123.3MHz -- making the total chip speed 8.58GHz. The secret to his success was in increasing his chip voltage (2.076v compared to 1.992 last time) and over-liberal use of liquid nitrogen. Maybe he could convince Sunnyvale to loan him a massive vat of liquid helium to get ever closer to the goal of 9GHz -- just make sure you don't pick up the check for the shipping and handling, okay?

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AMDAMD BulldozerAmdBulldozerAndre YangAndreYangBulldozerChip SpeedChip Speed World RecordChipSpeedChipSpeedWorldRecordGuinness World RecordGuinnessWorldRecordLiquid HeliumLiquid NitrogenLiquidHeliumLiquidNitrogenOverclockOverclockersOverclockingWorld RecordWorldRecordFri, 04 Nov 2011 03:04:00 -040021|20097933http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/amd-bulldozer-breaks-own-world-record-overclocked-to-8-46ghz/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/amd-bulldozer-breaks-own-world-record-overclocked-to-8-46ghz/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/amd-bulldozer-breaks-own-world-record-overclocked-to-8-46ghz/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsAdvanced Micro Devices is probably feeling a bit silly right about now. To show off how powerful the Bulldozer chip really is, it drafted in the world's most elite overclockers, set them up in a room with whatever was required (including a vat of liquid helium) and broke the chip-speed world record. With a verified speed of 8.429GHz, the company collected its Guinness world record and sat back, thinking that no one could ever best it. Less than two months later and Andre Yang (who we can assume does not have his own military complex to run his experiments in) managed to get his Bulldozer running at 8.46GHz, 30MHz faster than the chip's own parent could manage. We wouldn't dare suggest that anyone stand outside AMD's Sunnyvale HQ whilst playing the sad trombone -- but if anyone deserves that chance, it'd certainly be Mr. Yang.

Update: AMD got in touch to say that it's expecting others to beat the record and is excited to see how many records the chips are gonna set. So what are you waiting for?

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AMDAMD BulldozerAmdBulldozerAndre YangAndreYangBulldozerChip SpeedChipSpeedGuinness World RecordGuinnessWorldRecordLiquid HeliumLiquidHeliumOverclockOverclockersOverclockingMon, 31 Oct 2011 11:51:00 -040021|20094581http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/13/amd-gets-guiness-world-record-for-fastest-cpu-with-overclocked-o/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Speed. It's of paramount importance in evaluating any computer system, and the engine that gives your PC its get up and go is its CPU. The folks at AMD wanted to show off just how awesome (and fast) their new Bulldozer-based FX chips can be, and set a Guinness World Record for the "Highest Frequency of a Computer Processor" while they were at it. To get the record, a team of "elite overclocking specialists" cranked up the juice on an 8-core desktop CPU until hitting a speed of 8.429GHz -- handily surpassing the previous mark of 8.308GHz. So, AMD's got the fastest silicon in the west and it's chipping away at Intel's processor predominance. What say you, Chipzilla?

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8 core8-core8CoreamdBulldozercpufxGuinness World RecordGuinnessWorldRecordoverclockoverclockingprocessorvideoTue, 13 Sep 2011 09:01:00 -040021|20041119http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/07/amd-ships-16-core-bulldozer-chips-for-servers-makes-consumers-w/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/07/amd-ships-16-core-bulldozer-chips-for-servers-makes-consumers-w/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/07/amd-ships-16-core-bulldozer-chips-for-servers-makes-consumers-w/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsAMD's Interlagos, its server-styled Bulldozer chip -- Mr. Opteron 6200 to you and me -- is being pushed out to retailers and OEMs ready for an October launch. AMD is calling it the first 16-core x86 processor, although as we know from the required reading, it has eight two-core shared modules rather than 16 independent ones. The chips are compatible with Socket G34 motherboards, but most of this first production run will go straight into supercomputer projects. AMD remains mute on progress of the consumer-level Zambezi, but rumors are that the company can't clock it fast enough to compete with Intel's Core i7 -- the very class that Bulldozer was designed to bury.

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16-core16-core x8616-coreX86AMDAMD BulldozerAMD ChipAMD Opteron 6200AMD Turbo CoreAMD ZambeziAmdBulldozerAmdChipAmdOpteron6200AmdTurboCoreAmdZambezibulldozerChipChipscpucpusG34Intel Core i7IntelCoreI7Opteron 6200Opteron6200Socket Am3+SocketAm3+Turbo CoreTurboCoreZambeziZambezi for Socket AM3+ZambeziForSocketAm3+Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:36:00 -040021|20036521http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/amd-990fx-motherboards-from-asus-asrock-and-gigabyte-get-rounde/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/amd-990fx-motherboards-from-asus-asrock-and-gigabyte-get-rounde/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/amd-990fx-motherboards-from-asus-asrock-and-gigabyte-get-rounde/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsHotHardware just herded up a trio of new mainboards equipped with AMD's 990FX chipset, which will support those famed 8-core Bulldozer-based processors when they finally arrive, as well as being compatible with existing Phenom II and Athlon II chips. All the boards had similarly high performance, good connectivity and plenty of overclocking and tweaking potential. However, the $229 Asus CrossHair V Formula inched its way to overall victory thanks to its reliability, attractive build and smart layout. The ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional placed second despite being cheaper at $200 and having richer connectivity, including FireWire and a front-mountable USB 3.0 panel. Finally, the Gigabyte 990FXA-UD7 lagged behind due to its excessive $250 price tag, a lack of color coding to help guide less experienced builders, plus an ugly and outdated BIOS utility. So, there you have it: if you want to gear up for your next Bulldozer-ready AMD build, the Asus and ASRock 990FX boards are ripe for picking. Check out the source link for the full comparisons and benchmarks.

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8-core990FXAM3+AMDAMD 990FXamd fxAmd990fxAmdFxASRockASRock Fatal1tyASRock Fatal1ty 990FX ProfessionalAsrockFatal1tyAsrockFatal1ty990fxProfessionalAsusAsus CrossHair V FormulaAsusCrosshairVFormulaBulldozerGigabyteGigabyte 990FXA-UD7Gigabyte990fxa-ud7motherboardocta-coreoctacorereviewreview roundupReviewRounduproundupThu, 25 Aug 2011 11:02:00 -040021|20026440http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/more-details-emerge-on-amds-bulldozer-for-high-end-desktops/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/more-details-emerge-on-amds-bulldozer-for-high-end-desktops/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/more-details-emerge-on-amds-bulldozer-for-high-end-desktops/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsAMDs Bulldozer is the company's anticipated high-power rival to Intel's Core i7 and the company just released a slew of new information about its internals. Now, pay attention 007 -- the "Zambezi for Socket AM3+" chips will include four modules, each with two cores and 2MB of L2 cache. Operating above these is a single Northbridge with 8MB of L3 cache to direct data between two 72-bit DDR3 channels and 4 x 16-bit receive / transmit HyperTransport links. Finally, the "Turbo Core" increases the whole chip's click speed when taxed or kills power to idle cores when it's not. Hustle on down to the source link to see the slides yourself.

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AMDAMD BulldozerAMD ChipAMD Turbo CoreAMD ZambeziAmdBulldozerAmdChipAmdTurboCoreAmdZambezibulldozerChipChipscpucpusIntel Core i7IntelCoreI7Socket Am3+SocketAm3+Turbo CoreTurboCoreZambeziZambezi for Socket AM3+ZambeziForSocketAm3+Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:28:00 -040021|20024918http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/lucidlogix-brings-gpu-virtualization-to-amd-notebooks-all-in-on/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/lucidlogix-brings-gpu-virtualization-to-amd-notebooks-all-in-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/lucidlogix-brings-gpu-virtualization-to-amd-notebooks-all-in-on/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Late last year, LucidLogix introduced us to Virtu, the GPU virtualization software that makes disparate GPUs play nice on Sandy Bridge PCs, and now its extending the love to AMD Bulldozer and Brazos machines. The latest version of the software, dubbed Virtu Universal, also extends GPU virtualization to all-in-ones and notebooks (on both AMD and Intel), enabling simple switching between discrete graphics and the integrated ilk. What's more, the program ushers in the debut of Virtual Vsync, which claims to bring "maximum gaming frame rates and responsiveness, while eliminating distracting and image-distorting visual tearing." Of course, we'll believe it when we see it, which, if LucidLogix has its way, should be before the ball drops in Time Square. Full PR after the break.

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AMDBrazosBulldozerdiscrete graphicsDiscreteGraphicsgpugpu virtualizationGpuVirtualizationgraphicgraphics cardsGraphicsCardsintegrate graphicsIntegrateGraphicsIntellucid logixLucidLogixsandybridgeVirtual VsyncvirtualizationVirtualVsyncWed, 01 Jun 2011 21:38:00 -040021|19955700http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/24/amd-llano-quad-core-apus-and-zambezi-octa-core-cpus-get-priced/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/24/amd-llano-quad-core-apus-and-zambezi-octa-core-cpus-get-priced/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/24/amd-llano-quad-core-apus-and-zambezi-octa-core-cpus-get-priced/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Don't mistake the relative quietness from AMD on the APU front for inactivity. Ever since announcing the first shipment of its Llano Accelerated Processing Unit in April, the company's been working behind the scenes to ramp up availability to OEMs, and somewhere along the supply chain a gracious soul has been found who's leaked the bulk pricing for those chips. The new quad-core A Series processors start off at $110 for an A6-3450 and max out at $170 for an A8-3550P, but there's also mention of octa-core FX processors, which will weigh in at $320 a piece and reputedly compete with Intel's 3.4GHz Core i7-2600K. The latter are built around AMD's Bulldozer modules (wherein one module counts for two cores) and look to be the manifestation of the company's Zambezi CPUs, which could come without an integrated graphics processor as is available on the Llano and the rest of AMD's Fusion line.

Just to whet appetites further, we've also come across an HP dv6 on an obscure German retail site, offering a 1.6GHz A6-3410MX APU, 6GB of RAM, and a most reasonable €590 price. There's obviously no promised delivery date, but this should be the first of many such appearances in the coming days as we build up towards Computex 2011. Something tells us AMD won't be holding back when the Taipei electronics show gets started.

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32nma seriesa-seriesa4a6a6-3410mxa8Accelerated Processing UnitAcceleratedProcessingUnitamdamd llanoAmdLlanoapuASeriesbulldozercomputexcomputex 2011Computex2011cpudv6eight-corefusionhphp dv6HpDv6leakllanoocta-coreoctacorepricepricingprocessorquad-corerumorshipmentsshippedshippingspeculationzambeziTue, 24 May 2011 04:48:00 -040021|19948331http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/18/amds-quad-core-llano-apus-pegged-for-q3-2011-release-computex/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/18/amds-quad-core-llano-apus-pegged-for-q3-2011-release-computex/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/18/amds-quad-core-llano-apus-pegged-for-q3-2011-release-computex/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsX-bit labs has a (pretty massive) scoop of AMD info to share with us this week, as it has put together the above chart detailing what it expects the company's APU roadmap will look like for the remainder of the year. Published a couple of days ago, this data has now been partially corroborated by the snoops over at DigiTimes, who confirm a couple of the model names and agree that AMD is planning an initial Q3 rollout of five Llano chips, to be followed by even more processors coming in Q4 of 2011. Llano represents AMD's play for the performance crown, coming as it does with dual- or quad-core processing units, DirectX 11-capable Radeon HD 6000-series graphics, and a dual-channel DDR3 memory controller, all bundled up inside the same warm and toasty package. More E-series APUs for power-conscious users are also said to be on the cards, and AMD itself should be making these plans official at Computex in Taipei come early June. It's a bit of a wait, but we've got a feeling it'll be worth it.

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201132nma6-3450a8-3550amdapuBulldozercomputexcomputex 2011Computex2011cpudesktopdirectx 11Directx11fusiongpuhuskyllanoperformanceplansprocessorq3roadmaprumorschedulespeculationvideoFri, 18 Mar 2011 07:06:00 -040021|19883842http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/amd-publishes-cpu-roadmaps-through-2012-runs-a-quad-core-bulldo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/amd-publishes-cpu-roadmaps-through-2012-runs-a-quad-core-bulldo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/11/amd-publishes-cpu-roadmaps-through-2012-runs-a-quad-core-bulldo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Heard of Trinity, Krishna, Wichita and Komodo? You have now -- they're the codenames of brand-new processors that AMD plans to ship in 2012. AMD dropped preliminary details on the basic platform lineup earlier this week, and it looks like there are some sweeping changes in store -- like the fact that every single chip will have a DirectX 11 capable GPU on board in true Fusion style. Also, if you thought Bulldozer was a desktop processor and Bobcat limited to laptops, you'll be interested to know that's not at all how it's going to work -- powerhouse notebooks and mid-range towers can get the same four high-end cores in the form of a 32nm Trinity APU, while Krishna and Wichita mop up the low-end and hopefully address low power consumption scenarios with 28nm silicon. Of course, there's a little something extra for the desktop enthusiast, and that's where the octa-core Komodo will come in (picture after the break). AMD's also enacted one other very important change, and that's to provide the handy-dandy AMD Codename Decoder[TM] for telling all these platforms apart. You'll find it at our more coverage link. We kid you not.

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amdAMD Codename DecoderAMD FusionAmdCodenameDecoderAmdFusionapubobcatbulldozercodenamecodename decoderCodenameDecodercodenamescpuGPUkomodoKrishnaLlanoOntarioprocessorprocessorsstarsTrinityWichitaZacateThu, 11 Nov 2010 06:24:00 -050021|19712044http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/24/amds-bobcat-and-bulldozer-2011-flagship-cpu-cores-detailed-to/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/24/amds-bobcat-and-bulldozer-2011-flagship-cpu-cores-detailed-to/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/24/amds-bobcat-and-bulldozer-2011-flagship-cpu-cores-detailed-to/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
One of these days AMD is gonna have to stop talking about its Atom-killing Bobcat and Xeon-ending Bulldozer cores and finally release them. But, until that happy moment arrives in 2011 (fingers crossed), we'll have to content ourselves with more presentation slides. First up, the Bobcat core is AMD's long overdue play for the netbook/ultrathin market. Pitched as having 90 percent of the performance of current-gen, K8-based mainstream chips, AMD's new mobility core will require "less than half the area and a fraction of the power" of its predecessors. That sounds like just the recipe to make the company relevant in laptop purchasing decisions again, while a touted ability for the core to run on less than one watt of power (by lowering operating frequencies and voltages, and therefore performance) could see it appear in even smaller form factors, such as MIDs. The Bobcat's now all set to become the centerpiece of the Ontario APU -- AMD's first Fusion chip, ahead of Llano -- which will be ramping up production late this year, in time for an early 2011 arrival.

The Bulldozer also has a future in the Fusion line, but it's earliest role will be as a standalone CPU product for servers and high-end consumer markets. The crafty thing about its architecture is that every one Bulldozer module will be counted as two cores. This is because AMD has split its internal processing pipelines into two (while sharing as many internal components as possible), resulting in a sort of multicore-within-the-core arrangement. The way the company puts it, it's multithreading done right. Interlagos is the codename of the first Opteron chips to sport this new core, showing up at some point next year in a 16-core arrangement (that's 8 Bulldozers, if you're keeping score at home) and promising 50 percent better performance than the current Magny-Cours flagship. Big words, AMD. Now let's see you stick to a schedule for once.

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32nmamdamd bobcatamd bulldozeramd fusionAmdBobcatAmdBulldozerAmdFusionapubobcatbobcat coreBobcatCorebulldozerbulldozer coreBulldozerCorecomponentscorecorescpucpu coreCpuCoredesktopfusionfuturehardwarehotchipshotchips 2010Hotchips2010interlagoslaptopmulticorenetbooksnotebooksontarioopteronout-of-orderplansprocessorprocessorsroadmapscheduleultrathinvideozambeziTue, 24 Aug 2010 00:01:00 -040021|19603274http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/26/next-gen-amd-scorpius-and-lynx-desktop-platforms-leak-out-fusio/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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AMD had a little show and tell with Asian press to go along with those new Phenom II and Athlon II chips it just launched, and it revealed some of its next-gen plans along the way. In the short term, it looks like the plan is to launch the 45nm Leo platform we've heard about later this year to better compete with Intel's 32nm Clarkdale parts, and then to push forward to 32nm in 2011 with the Scorpius platform, which will feature a Bulldozer CPU called Zambezi with up to 8 cores and a "next-generation discrete graphics solution." Midrange desktops will get some "next-generation integrated graphics" of their own this year on the Dorado platform, while 2011 will see the Lynx platform launch with the long-delayed Fusion chip. (We were first supposed to see Fusion chips in late 2008, remember?) Fusion is also still on vapor-y track for laptops with scheduled 2011 launch of the previously-leaked Sabine platform, but AMD also tipped the new Brazos Fusion-based platform powered by the Ontario APU, which is "optimized for new form factors" -- potentially MID-sized, but we don't know for sure. Phew, that's a lot of codenames -- we'd say we can't wait, but we're clearly going to have to learn how.

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amdapubrazosbulldozerchipcpudoradofusiongpuleakleaksleolynxontarioprocessorsabinescorpiuszambeziTue, 26 Jan 2010 13:04:00 -050021|19332229http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/amd-spells-out-the-future-heterogeneous-computing-bulldozer-an/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Believe it or not, it's just about time for AMD to start thinking about its future. We know -- you're still doing your best to wrap that noodle around Congos and Thubans, but now it's time to wonder how exactly Leo, Llano and Zambezi (to name a few) can fit into your already hectic schedule. At an Analyst Day event this week, the chipmaker removed the wraps on its goals for 2010 and 2011, and while it's still focusing intently on Fusion (better described as heterogeneous computing, where "workloads are divided between the CPU and GPU"), it's the forthcoming platforms that really have us worked up. For starters, AMD is looking into Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) configurations, which "represent the combined capabilities of [practically any] two separate processors." We're also told that the firm may actually introduce its Bulldozer (architecture for mainstream machines) and Bobcat (architecture for low-power, ultrathin PCs) platforms more hastily than similar ones have been rolled out in the past, which demonstrates an effort to really target the consumer market where Intel currently reigns. Frankly, we're jazzed about the possibilities, so hit the links below for a deep dive into what just might be powering your next (or next-next) PC.

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Accelerated Processing UnitAcceleratedProcessingUnitamdapubobcatbrazosbulldozercgpucpuDanubefusiongpgpugpuleoLlanoMaranellonileplatformprocessorquad-coreroadmapsan marinoSanMarinox86ZambeziThu, 12 Nov 2009 10:17:00 -050021|19234487http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/04/more-details-leak-on-amds-fusion-platform-fusion-now-officiall/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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In yet more news about the perpetually forthcoming Fusion CPU / GPU combos from AMD, new details have been leaked regarding the chips' sizes, configurations, and other bits of insufferably tedious details that only Professor Frink could truly love. According to this latest report, the "first" Fusion processor will be called "Shrike," sport a dual-core Phenom CPU, an ATI RV800 GPU, and a footprint of just 40nm. Another chip, codenamed "Falcon," will debut in 2010 at a 32nm size, based around a platform known as "Bulldozer," and will be launched to combat Intel's 32nm offering. Of course, we've been hearing about these chips since 2006, so we're not exactly on the edge of our seats hearing new details of what essentially amounts to vaporware.

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amdatibulldozerchipscpufalconfusiongpuleakrv800shrikeMon, 04 Aug 2008 22:53:00 -040021|1275368http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/04/video-hands-on-with-the-gmc-bulldozer-r4-computer-case/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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We don't typically get worked up for over-the-counter, computer cases. The we stumbled upon the Bulldozer R4. If we were a 92-mm case fan we'd totally tap this. If you're wondering what those little pneumatic arms are for then check the video after the break -- a place where surreal overkill and CeBIT come to meet.

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bulldozerbulldozer r4BulldozerR4cebitcebit 2008Cebit2008engadget videoEngadgetVideofeaturesgmcTue, 04 Mar 2008 14:44:00 -050021|1131138http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/amd-talks-specs-on-fusion-continues-to-release-nothing/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/amd-talks-specs-on-fusion-continues-to-release-nothing/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/amd-talks-specs-on-fusion-continues-to-release-nothing/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
At this point we've heard so much and seen so little of AMD's Fusion hybrid CPU / GPU chip that we're honestly starting to consider it vapor -- AMD first announced it in 2006, after all. Still, the company's VP of marketing chatted up PC World about new Fusion chips today, saying that a 45nm notebook-optimized version codenamed "Swift" based on the Phenom core would be the first off the line. That doesn't line up with the last roadmap we saw out of Sunnyvale, which had the first Fusion chip based on the workstation-class Bulldozer core, but hey, we'll let AMD say whatever it wants, just as long as see some actual chips sometime soon.

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amdbulldozerfusionphenomFri, 25 Jan 2008 14:03:00 -050021|1097044http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/26/amd-updates-roadmap-barcelona-nearly-here-all-new-chips-in-2/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/26/amd-updates-roadmap-barcelona-nearly-here-all-new-chips-in-2/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/26/amd-updates-roadmap-barcelona-nearly-here-all-new-chips-in-2/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsAMD had itself a busy day today: not only did the European Commission file antitrust charges against Intel for interfering with AMD's business in Europe, the Sunnyvale company released an updated product roadmap at its annual analyst conference. With the quad-core Barcelona processor on track for an August launch, the company announced its next-gen mobile platform, "Puma," which will feature hybrid graphics support. Looking even farther ahead, AMD also announced some chips we won't see for a while yet: the all-new workstation- and server-oriented "Bulldozer" chip and mobile device "Bobcat" chip are scheduled to arrive sometime in 2010, and represent entirely new chip designs for the company. The hits didn't stop there, however: AMD's also announced its first Fusion integrated CPU / GPU chip, the "Falcon," which will use the Bulldozer core -- no word on what happened to Hawk or when we'll see this ship. Finally, the company answered speculation that it's looking to get out of the manufacturing game by saying that it's aiming for the "right balance" between in-house and outside fabrication, but that it's committed to its current existing mix through 2009. All in all, it looks like AMD has got some pretty ambitious plans for the future -- but will it be enough to hold off scrappy upstart Hynix? Tons more info, including all the slides, at the read link.